Happy New Years!

We're off to par-tay tonight. Excited to be with friends, and the boys!

We are all still getting back to normal habits, the boys in particular. Normal sleeping, eating, and um... other bodily function related issues.

Jack has had some rather odoriferous incidents recently. There was one in particular today that made me anxious for potty training.

Josh told me several times within a few short minutes how much Jack stinked, then he finally came to me and said "mom, I don't like the smell of him". Me neither Josh.

Hope your New Year smells better than ours!

Shew. A week of nonstop visitors from both sides of the family and we are pooped.

We had a great, and tiring Christmas. The boys both took long naps today to prove it.

We are looking forward to heading out to some friends house (with the boys) tomorrow night to celebrate New Years with some friends (of ours and the boys). I still feel like it's a luxury to get to do that!

The boys have been full of new things that they are up to. Josh is officially reading now. I think we are up to two words (other than his and Jack's names) and counting. Every where he sees letters he reads them. Reminds me of what I did when trying to learn Russian.

Jack repeats virtually everything you say and wants to do everything big brother does, this includes jumping off the stairs, jumping on the bed, throwing things, and shooting things (he knows how to make a gun with his fingers and make the shooting noise). He has also told me several times when he has poopies, which I'm hoping means I get to start potty training sooner rather than later. My favorite new things of his are the animal noises. We taught him how to make animal noises, and those are hilarious. The best is how he roars like a tiger. He does it in his throat so it sounds like a real roar. Precious.

I treasure how well the boys play together. Josh told me the other day that Jack was his best friend. I think Josh returning to school will be rough on Jack for a few days, he's loved having his big brother to play with and get in to trouble with.

Hope everyone had Merry Christmas and that ya'll get to enjoy your New Year!

Lord. Have. Mercy.

Josh had his Christmas party today and got a new book about Jesus' Birthday. After reading it we were talking about God and Jesus and related issues. We were talking about how the bad guys beat Jesus up and how he died on a cross, and off that how sometimes it takes more strength not to beat people up (since Jesus could have). Somehow that spun off into how tough God was and I told Josh God was the strongest guys ever, and he goes "no, I'm stronger than God is". Shortly after that I was telling him how we needed to love and obey God and Jesus because that is how we get to heaven and he proceeds to tell me he doesn't want to go to heaven.

Somebody tell me how you parent through that? It always cracks me up when people try to say kids aren't sinful. The sinful and rebellious heart in my child is quite present today.

So if anyone feel like praying for mercy for my oldest child, it could definitely be used!

*edit* he did pray and ask for forgiveness. He told Jesus he was sorry for the bad things he said

Okay, recap of the last month:

The trip to STL was probably the most successful we have had to date. The boys did quite well on both legs of the drive (with the exception of hotel sleeping, but that wasn't in the car) and managed to stay healthy and fairly happy most of their stay. Such a relief!

Josh was sick most of the month. He had to take two rounds of antibiotics for an ear infection (as did Jack) and 5 days after being off the antibiotics we had to go back into the doctor and get on more for... walking pneumonia. Thankfully he is back to himself!

We've been busy finishing up all of our Christmas obligations and after Wednesday are looking forward to a schedule free week. I tried to be intentional about having the week before off where we could hang out and make memories without being stressed. We're excited to have everyone down here for the holidays. Really excited about getting to celebrate Christmas in my own house!

Josh and Jack are Pete and Re Pete right now. They play together all the time, and if one goes somewhere the other goes off to find him. It's fun to watch them and their camaraderie. They have their tiffs, but for the most part I really am amazed at how well they get a long. Such a blessing.

We've been rocking out the Charlie Brown cartoons recently. At one point Lucy tells Charlie that he's so stupid, Josh heard it and gasped and looked up at me and said "that's not nice! Where is her mommy?!"

Hopefully I will slide back into the blogging mindset and have some more cute stories about the boys soon!